On the morning of August 27, students and parishioners attending the first all-school Mass of the year at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis were rocked by gunfire. The assailant opened fire from outside the church through stained-glass windows, using a rifle, shotgun, and pistol, targeting those inside. Two children, aged 8 and 10, were killed. Seventeen others were wounded, including fourteen students and three elderly parishioners.
Law enforcement has identified the shooter as a 23-year-old former student of the school. After the attack, the shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The weapons were all legally acquired. A manifesto and a suicide note were discovered online, and investigators are reviewing motives, including possible hate crime or domestic terrorism designations.
The trauma was intense as students and teachers hid under wooden pews, tried to shelter younger children, and worked to protect lives as chaos erupted. Officials reported that some exits had been barricaded, complicating escape. All injured are expected to survive.
Community leaders and public officials, including the mayor, have called for unity and stressed that violence must not lead to scapegoating any group. Flags nationwide were ordered flown at half-staff to honor the victims. As the investigation continues, the question of how to prevent such tragedies in schools and places of worship has returned with renewed urgency.
